He was the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft. Now he's homeless (again) and refusing help
NOW HE'S SLEEPING ON BENCHES
Joe Murphy was the Detroit Red Wings' top pick in the 1986 NHL draft. He earned more than $13 million during his 15-year career and won a championship in 1990 with the Edmonton Oilers. But now, Murphy sleeps in doorways, on benches and in a tunnel in Kenora, Ontario. For the past two years, the NHL Alumni Association, former teammates and social workers have tried to get him off the streets. But he refuses help.
CURIOUS CASE OF ANTONIO BROWN
There's never a dull moment when Antonio Brown is involved. First, it was reported that his presence on the non-football injury list for much of training camp was the result of frostbite to his feet caused by a cryotherapy machine. Frostbite!
Brown also made waves as news broke Friday that he has filed a grievance against the NFL so he can wear the helmet he has worn throughout his career – a model that is no longer certified because it is more than 10 years old.
Surely none of these things will be mentioned on "Hard Knocks," which kicked off its new season with the Raiders on Tuesday.
30-SECOND TIMEOUT
- Jon Lester is the weakest link in the Cubs' rotation, according to Jon Lester.
- The Twins are at it again.
- Good luck topping this, other high schoolers.
- Rory McIlroy is savage. Just ask Matt Kuchar.
- NBA star reveals his "one-beer-a-day" diet.
- Not a great tweet here by the Marlins.
- This is what patriotism looks like.
- Leave Joe Buck alone!
- Mike Trout may end up being the best baseball player ever.
- Golf's biggest names are tired of slow play. REALLY TIRED!
- Bryson DeChambeau took the brunt of that criticism for slow play. He then fired back at critics with force.
- Peter King got pulled over during a live radio hit.
- NFL rookie talked his way into Browns tryout mobbed by teammates after scoring TD in first preseason game. Sports at its finest ...
THE ORIOLES HAD WORST WEEK IN SPORTS
It was a no-good, very bad week for the Baltimore Orioles. On Monday, they watched the visiting New York Yankees set an MLB single-season record for home runs at a visiting ballpark. On Tuesday, they watched a prospect sustain a concussion after a ball hit him in the head on a misplay. Then on Wednesday, they saw longtime slugger Chris Davis and manager Brandon Hyde get into an altercation in the dugout.
While things seem to be OK between player and manager after hashing things out Friday, the numbers from the Orioles' series against the Yankees remain ghastly: 15 consecutive losses to the Bronx Bombers at Camden Yards, where the Yankees have now hit 43 home runs this season – in just 10 games.
To finish the week, the Orioles saw the Astros put up a team record 23 runs against them. Woof.
'Field of Dreams' first. Let's hit these famous sites next ...
Major League Baseball is heading to Iowa next year for a game at the "Field of Dreams" site. The contest among the cornfields will see the New York Yankees take on the Chicago White Sox at a temporary 8,000-seat stadium. The news got us thinking: Which famous movie sites should get a real game?
100 GREATEST TEAMS IN NFL HISTORY
The 2019 season is the NFL's 100th. We will be celebrating along with the league with a variety of projects that look back through the first 100 years of NFL history, the first of which launched this week: Our 100 greatest teams of all time.
BEST OF THE REST
- Simone Biles hears your criticism and wants you to know something.
- After the United States showed its worst self this week, Gwen Berry and Race Imboden reminded us of what the country looks like at its best.
- Colin Kaepernick says he is “still ready” for a return to professional football. When asked if he thought Kaepernick should get an opportunity to play again in the NFL, President Donald Trump said, “only if he’s good enough.”
- Tiger Woods withdrew from a PGA Tour playoff event due to an oblique strain. What does it mean for his future?
- U.S. Figure Skating has been rocked by scandal again.
- Only once since 1994 has a Super Bowl runner-up made it back to the big game. Sean McVay and the Rams expect to buck that trend.
- What's next for Peyton Manning? All options are open, but for now, the legendary QB is showing off his sense of humor in an ESPN series that adds some spice to NFL history.
- Does Kevin Durant have any ill will toward the Warriors following his devastating Achilles injury?
- Is the Phillies' manager on the hot seat?
- Every NFL team needs a player like Kenny Stills.
- Why Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is a hypocrite.
- The NBA's custom-shoe trend is about more than making a fashion statement — some NBA players are using their footwear to send a message. And these designers turn those shoes into works of art.
- Parents go crazy as Marlins rookie gets his first MLB hit, a home run off Mets reigning Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.
- J.J. Watt owes this kid a bike.
- Pedro Martinez says the Phillies were battling Swine Flu during the 2009 World Series.
- "It’s crazy to think that something like that could happen in your city.” The Packers' Aaron Jones, who lives in El Paso during the offseason, reflected on the recent mass shooting.
- Former Michigan State star Antonio Smith turning life around after battling homelessness.
MORE NEWSLETTERS!
Want more content like this in your inbox? Sign up for Paste BN Sports' daily sports newsletter, where you'll get the biggest news and trending topics delivered each morning. And we also have exclusive NFL (4th & Monday) and NBA (Click & Roll) newsletters to satisfy your inbox's appetite.
SEE YOU ON SOCIAL
And for more great sports stories from across the Paste BN Network, check out sports.usatoday.com daily. And don't forget to follow Paste BN Sports on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.